You throw the ball. You catch the ball. You hit the ball…Of course, baseball fans know that this line from Bull Durham is far from true, part of the humor of the movie and a huge part of the fun of the game. This blog is a space to talk about baseball, being a baseball fan, all of those things that make the game fun and the Angels, because they make baseball fun for me.

Spring Training Is Over. The 25-Man Roster Is Set-ish. Play Ball!

The Angels announced their initial 25-man roster late this evening, following a 5 – 1 win over the Dodgers in their final preseason game. I say initial because, of course, there will be considerable roster shifting in April and possibly into early May as Scott Downs, Kendrys Morales, Joel Pineiro and Reggie Willits come off of the 15-day DL. So, for now, the 2011 Angels are:

Not a whole lot of surprises there. Okay, I was a little surprised to see Hank Conger stay on the roster. I figured he would stay in AAA so he could get work in every day. But I don’t know who I would have kept up instead, this may change when they need roster space for guys coming off the DL and, besides, carrying three catchers is becoming a Mike Scioscia tradition. Given his hot streak since the surgery, I wish they found a way to keep Palmer up. I know Bulger is out of options, but he didn’t have a very good spring, or late summer for that matter… I’m pleased to see Chris Pettit getting another shot after missing all of 2010 due to shoulder surgery. I don’t know how long that experiment will last once guys start coming off the DL but we’ll see.

I’m excited! Yes, I pretty much knew who would make the cut, especially given the limiting injuries. Even so, just seeing the official roster really drives home the fact that Opening Day is Thursday! And I’m hopeful. We may have platoons at both of our infield corners indefinitely, but today it doesn’t bother me. So far it seems to be working, better than I expected. And if Trumbo’s bat holds up during the regular season, I think the first base platoon will be resolved quickly, even if Kendrys isn’t able to come back full time any time soon.

I’m so ready for Thursday. We have Weaver on the mound, the triple centerfield patrolling the outfield and a couple of guys whose bats really, really love Kauffman Stadium. Bring on the Royals. Play ball!!

7 Comments

According to the Angels insiders, they’re temporarily going with 11 pitchers and Hank Conger to give them another lefty option. When Pineiro and Downs come off injuries, they’ll go back to 12 pitchers.

Alice – That makes sense, although Hank’s only marginally another lefty option.
Jane – Hear, hear!
Emma – Happy Opening Day Eve to you too! Yeah, I watched those game from home and boy did they make me jones for the ballpark. I am pleased to see that your boys Furcal and Ethier have recovered nicely from last season’s injuries, though I’m not saying I would mind too terribly much if they slumped briefly when they visit the Big A. :)
— Kristen

Are Angels fans gonna be weighing Wells’ production against his contract like we did in Toronto? That’s what really wore him down here.
He did, on the other hand, have a nice year in 2010. Most of his production was in April, May and September, but he was healthy and hitting the ball well all year.
I’m rooting for him — he’s a good guy and good player. I’m looking forward to seeing him back in Toronto, in August I believe.http://letsplay162.mlblogs.com/

Jeremy – I hope not, but some of that talk has already started on the blogs. Wells’ contract is a monster for sure, but honestly I like the guy already and am thrilled to have him. If he gives us the big consistent bat and solid presence in left I think he can, I don’t really care how much they’re paying him. This outfield is one of my favorite things about the 2011 team and Wells is a big part of that. Thanks for dropping by my blog!
— Kristen

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